Tie-plate



July 9, 1929. c. E. ANDERSON TIE PLATE Filed March 11, 1929 Patented July 9, 1929.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. ANDERSON, F HIBBING, MINNESOTA.

TIE-PLATE.

Application filed March 11, 1929. Serial No. 346,141.

This invention relates to tie plates for railway track structures and is illustrated herein as embodied in a plate suitable'for use in connection with railway ties composed of rail sections. A tie plat-e of this same general character is disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,657,242, granted January 24,

1928, to \Villiam Dalton.

In constructing railway tracks in the manner disclosed in the aforementioned patent, it is customary to form the ties of a plurality of spaced rail sections, generally used ones, extending parallel to one another, and to weld tie plates to the ties at points that are spaced apart a distance corresponding to the width of the track. The tie plates not. only serve as anchors for the rails, but also serve in holding the tie sections in proper alinement with one another.

It is an object of the present invention to provide anovel and improved tie plate that may be welded to the rail sections of the tie, and may be operated with facility and expediency to engage rigidlythe base flange of the track rail to hold the latter against displacement, and may likewise be operated with dispatch to disengage the rail sections to permit removal, or replacement of the latter.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a tie plate having removable rail clamping members associated therewith in such a manner that the presence of the members does not interfere with welding the plate to the ties. In the illustrated embodi-.,-

ment of the invention the rail clamping members project below the bottom of the tie plate, but they project in such a manner that they do not prevent the bottom of the plate from havin firm surface engagement with the top of the rails whereby proper welding of the plate to the rails can be performed. Thus, the main projecting portions are located centrally of the plate in which location they extend into the space between the rail sections and do not interfere, and the projecting portions located above the rail sections are disposed in recesses formed in the bottom of the plate in which condition they do notinterfere either.

Still another feature consists in providing a tie plate of the type under discussion with easily accessible retaining or locking means for the clamping members. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the retaining means are exposed above the track ties and may be inserted or extracted to secure or to permit removal of the clamping means without removing the welded plate or necessitating working from beneath the plate.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the specification in the light of the accompanying drawings, in which i Figure 1 is a view of an assemblage comprising a rail tie, a tie plate constructed in accordance with the present invention mounted upon the tie and a steel rail mounted upon the tie late;

*igure 2 is a top plan view of the assemblage shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detailed view in perspective showing a part of the tie plate shown in the preceding figures; and

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 3 showing one of a plurality of locking members w'ithwhichthe tie plate is provided.

As shown in the drawings, the reference numerals 10 and 12 indicate a plurality of spaced metallic members which extend pa rallcl to one another to form a railway tie. As illustrated, the members 10 and 12 comprise rail sections (which may be old rails that have been used before) composed of upper and lower flanges joined together by means of a vertical web 14. To the end of maintaining the spaced rail sections 10 and 12 in parallel relationship, separated the proper distance, each tie is provided with a plurality of tie plates spaced from one another a distance equal to the width of the track. These tie plates are welded to the upper tlauges of the rail sections of the tie and are provided with means for engaging the rails to maintain them against displacement.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the tie plates comprise a base 16 pro vidcd With a plurality of spaced, parallel extending, upwardly bulged portions 18 and 20 (Figure 3). One-of the upwardly bulged portions is shaped at 22 to form a vertical wall or shoulder for engagement with the base flange of the rail whereby the vertical shoulwardly projecting nose portions 36 and 38 adapted to overlie the base flange of the rail 24 and hold the latter firmly in position. To the end of preventing accidental displacement of the clamping members 36 and 38 they are adapted to be locked in position by means of suitable fasteners 40 and 42, illustrated herein in the form of cotter pins. As illustrated in Figure 1, the shanks of the cotter pins are disposed within the recesses formed in the bottom surface of the base -16 by means of the upwardly bulged portions 18 and 20 whereby the pins do not prevent the plate from lying directly'upon the tops of the rail sections comprising the tie. By means of such a provision, there is a large surface contact between the ties and the plates which permits the welding operation to be performed satisfactorily.

The fasteners 40 and 42, which extend through openings formed in the shanks 30 of the clamping members are located above the bottom plane of the base 16 and have their heads extending laterally from the side of the base. Thus, the heads of the fasteners are exposed and may be utilized in removing the locking means to permit removal of the clamping members 26 and 28.

It will be observed that the depending portions 30 of the assemblage are positioned centrally of the base 16' so as to be disposed in the space between the members 10 and '12, and that the balance of the clamping and locking members are disposed above the plane of the lower surface of the base, in which condition they do not interfere with the welding operation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. A tie plate for use in connection with rail ties composed of spaced members, said tie plate comprising, in combination, a base, clamping members arranged to extend through the base, and securing means located on the under surface of the base for holding the clamping members in place, the portions of the assemblage depending below the base being restricted to the central area'of the base, whereby they are disposed within the space between the members constituting the tie.

2. A tie plate for use in connection with ties composed of spaced metallic'members, said tie plate, comprising, in combination, a

base, removable clamping members associated with the base and adapted to engage the base flange of a rail, and means located beneath the base for locking the clamping members in position, said locking means being located in recesses formed in the bottom of the plate,

3. A tie plate for use in connection with rail ties composed of a plurality of spaced members, the tie plate comprising, in combination, a base, removable clamping members associated with the base and adapted to engage rigidly a rail extending across the ties, and means for locking the clamping members in position, said locking means being located .above the plane of the major portion of the bottom surface of the base.

4. A railway tie plate comprising, in comciated with the base for engaging rigidly the base flange of the rail, and means for locking the clamping means in position, said locking means being positioned within the recess formed in the bottom surface of the base by the presence of the upwardly bulged portion.

5. A tie plate for railroad rails comprising, in combination, a base having a plurality of upwardly bulged parallel extending portions formed therein, one of said upwardly bulged portions being shaped to provide a shoulder for engaging the ase flange of the rail, a plurality of clamping members disposed on opposite sides of the rail and adapted to engage the base flange to hold the rail rigidly in proper position, and means located within recesses formed on the under side of the base by the upwardly bulged portions for locking the clamping members in position.

6. A tie plate for railroad rails, comprising, in combination, a base, a plurality of clamping members cooperative with the base, and locking means for said clampingmembers located within recesses formed in the bottom surface of the base, said locking means being provided with exposed portions which may be employed in effecting removal of the lockmg means.

7. A tie plate for railroad rails and the like, comprising, in combination, a base, a plurality of clamping members cooperative with the base, said members being independently removable therefrom, and means located above the planeof the bottom surface of the base for locking the clamping members in position, said locking means being provided with exposed portions which may be employed in tend through openings formed therein, and an equal plurality of locking means cooperative with the plate and adapted to maintain the clamping members rigidly in position thereon, said locking means I comprising shank portions located within recesses on the formed by the upwardly bulged portions, an

headed portions extending laterally from the base for utilization in removing the locking 10 means to permit removal of the clamping members.

Signed at Hibbing, Minnesota, this 28th day of February, 1929. lower surface of the base, said recesses bein 1 CHARLES E. ANDERSON. 

